The EC175 was designed with the help of operators to set the standard
in medium, twin-engine aircraft for the next decade.
With the widest cabin of any helicopter in its category,
the EC175 offers a high level of comfort and safety. The
aircraft can be boarded easily using the wide sliding
doors on either side of the fuselage, and the immense
baggage compartment is also accessible from both
sides of the helicopter. Moreover, the absence of any
partition between the cockpit and the cabin improves
communication while making it easier to access the aircraft.
All the (very large) windows can be jettisoned so
that passengers and crew can quickly exit the helicopter
in the event of an emergency, and these characteristics
make the EC175 one of the safest and most
comfortable helicopters in its category. The aircraft
complies with the strictest safety requirements and is
therefore ideal for Oil & Gas and SAR (Search and
Rescue) missions. With its completely new avionics,
the EC175 also has an effective and easy-to-use manmachine
interface which reduces the pilots’ workload.
Both the pilot and co-pilot can therefore concentrate
more fully on their missions.
Designed by operators for operators
Throughout the design phase of the EC175, several
workshops were organised and attended by a broad
cross-section of clients.
The aim was to collect their opinions and better
assess their requirements. While safety dominated
these discussions, the availability and versatility of the
aircraft, along with the reduction of operating costs,
were also talked about at length. These exchanges
allowed the operators’ comments and suggestions to
be incorporated into the helicopter’s design, and the
environmental characteristics of the aircraft were also
foremost in the operators’ minds.
Here again, the EC175 took on board what was said
because the aircraft’s noise signature is way below
the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation)
requirement.
All these impressive features were unveiled at the
commercial launch of the EC175 at Heli-Expo 2008 in
Houston from 24 to 26 February.
